Cistern-cleaner.



No. 67|,s5o. Patented Apr. 9, |901. s. LATcHEm.

CISTEHN CLEANER. :Applicata-.n med spe. e, 1900.;

(N Nudel.)

Lgf/evier Tre: cams Ferias $9.4 Priora-Limo.. wAsHmum. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE LATCHEM, OF GTTAWA, KANSAS.

CISTERNJCLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,650, dated .April9, 1901.

Application filed September 6, 1900. Serial No. 29,209. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may con/cern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE LATCHEM,a citizen of the United States,residing at Ottawa,in the county of Franklin and State of Kansas, haveinvented a new and useful Cistern- Cleaner, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to cistern-cleaners; and it has for one object toprovide a simple and efficient device with which the impurities at thebottom of the cistern may be raised and with which, moreover, sticks,stones, and other solid bodies may be grappled and raised to thesurface. y

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from thefollowing description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a sectional view of a well or cistern, the cleaner beingshown as in the operation of filling. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of thecleaner with the valve raised to discharge, the grapple being disengagedtherefrom. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the grapple disconnectedfrom the body of the cleaner. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective showing aportion of the body of the cleaner and the hook for engagementtherewith.

Referring now to the drawings, the present cleaner comprises acylindrical hollow body portion 5, having its upper end closed by a head6, while a diaphragm 7 is formed or secured in the lower end thereofjust above the edge of the body portion and has a central opening 8, atthe -upper side of which is a valve-scatti. A valve 10, hinged to thediaphragm 7, is movable downwardly into the seat and opens upwardly.

In the cylinder is fitted a slidable piston l1, to the central portionof which is fixed a rod 12, which is passed upwardly and through thehead 6 of the cylinder, and upon this rod is slidably mounted a disk 13,having depending hooks 14 at opposite points `of its edge, these hooksbeing adapted for engagement with pins 15 upon the outer surface of thebody. A tripod 16 is connected with the disk 13, and with the stem 17thereof is engaged'a rod 18, through the medium of which the disk may beoscillated to engage and disengage the hooks with respect to the pins.

When the hooks are engaged,the cylinder may be raised aud lowered bymeans of the rod 18.

Acord 19, attached to the valve l0,is passed upwardly through openingsin the pist-ou and the upper head'of the cylinder and serves to open thevalve against the pressure of matter that may be in the cylinder topermit it to escape.

In practice the piston is moved to the lower end of the cylinder, andthe cylinder is lowered by means of the rod, after which the piston is'raised to create suction,whic'h raises the valve and draws the mud andother impurities into the cylinder. To provide for thus raising thepiston, a'U-shaped frame is provided and has its legs passed downwardlythrough the upper head of the cylinder and attached to the piston, theweb of the frame lbeing provided with an eye 20, by means of which acord 2l is attached to the frame for raising it and therewith thepiston. To insure opening of the valve when the piston is raised,

`the cord 19 has its upper end connected to one of the legs of thetripod, and thus previous to drawing upon the cord 2l the hooks 14 may.be disengaged from the pins l5, when by The cord 19 may be thenmanipulated to raise the valve and permit a discharge of the contents ofthe cylinder.

In connection with the cylinder lO there is employed a grapplecomprising a metallic ring-25, which is disposed upon the lower end ofthe body 10 and held in place by set-screws 26. At diametricallyopposite points of the ring are formed depending lugs 27, havingbroadened heads 28, and through the corresponding ends ofthese heads arepassed rockshafts 29 and 30, each of which is provided with a series ofngers 3l, which are adapted to move toward each other as the shafts arerocked. To rock the shafts to move the teeth or ngers of one toward thefingers of the other, crank-arms 33 and 34E` are attached to the rods orshafts, and with the free ends of these cranks are connected cords 35and 36, which are in turn connected to a cord 37,

IOO

which when drawn upwardly moves the shafts, as stated. The cord 37 isconnected to the cord 21, whereby When said cord 2l is drawn to raisethe piston in the cylinder the grapple will be operated to grip anysolid body that may lie between its fingers.

What is claimed isl. A device of Ithe class describedcornpris-A 'ing acylinder havingavalved opening in its bottom, a piston in the cylinderand having a rod extending exteriorly thereof, a tripod slidably engagedwith the rod and having hooks, pins on the cylinder for engagement bythe hooks, a lifting-rod connected with the tripod, a frame connectedwith the piston and a cord attached to the frame for moving it to raisethe pistou.

3. A device of the class described comprising a cylinder having a valvedinlet-opening, a piston in the cylinder, means connected with the pistonfor operating it, a grapple connected with the cylinder and anoperating-cord connected to the grapple and to the piston-operatingmeans for actuating the piston and grapple simultaneously.

4. A device of the class described comprising a cylinder having aninwardly-opening valve and an opening controlled thereby, means forraising the valve from its seat, a piston in the cylinder and providedwith a rod, a tripod slidably engaged With the rod and provided withhooks, pins upon the cylinder for engagement by the hooks, a liftingrodconnected to' the tripod, a frame connected with the piston, a cordconnected to the frame for raising it `to raise the piston, a ringdisposed upon the bottom of the cylinder and having depending lugs,rock-shafts mounted in the lugs and having grippingfingers, cranks forthe rock-shafts and a cord attached to the cranks and to the cordconnected with the frame, whereby the grapple and piston may be operatedsimultaneously.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiXed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE LATCHEM.

Witnesses:

J. K. BAILEY, STEPHEN I-I. FULLER.

